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• 5 tips for making flash-based SSDs work with unstructured data

  Using flash storage effectively for unstructured data requires upfront analysis of cost, capacity and performance, as well as continued tracking of a rapidly changing flash market. Continue Reading

• With NVMe-oF, who needs rack-scale PCIe?

  NVMe over networks is winning out as the best way to offer shared, flash-based storage systems, with Dell EMC, NetApp, Pure Storage, Western Digital and startups in the game. Continue Reading

• Cloud-to-cloud migration tools offer comprehensive services

  In a multi-cloud environment, data migration can take on a new set of complications. Luckily, there are a number of technologies available aimed at cloud-to-cloud data migrations. Continue Reading

• NVMe over FC is happening, and it's time to prepare

  The extent to which the recently published FC-NVMe standard lowers performance latencies in Fibre Channel SANs will be interesting to watch in the coming months. Continue Reading

• Key steps to destroy an SSD and protect your data

  Donating a used SSD may seem like a nice thing to do, but not if you want to keep your data secure. SSD disposal and recycling are more complicated than you might think. Continue Reading

• Definitions to Get Started

  • file synchronization (file sync)
  • HDD form factor (hard disk drive form factor)
  • hardware RAID (hardware redundant array of independent disk)
  • exbibyte (EiB)

  • block storage
  • continuous data protection (CDP)
  • email archiving
  • SAN switch (storage area network switch)

  View All Definitions

• How do compression and deduplication affect performance?

  Data reduction methods, such as compression or deduplication, can have a positive effect on performance, but the significant CPU resources required could overshadow the benefits.Continue Reading

• Move to NVMe technology will depend on need and speed

  As a replacement for the SCSI storage protocol, NVMe can provide more responsive storage and lower latency. But transitioning to NVMe in the data center requires thorough planning.Continue Reading

• file system

  In a computer, a file system -- sometimes written filesystem -- is the way in which files are named and where they are placed logically for storage and retrieval.Continue Reading

• NVMe flash storage is shaking things up

  The development of the nonvolatile memory express protocol is a huge step forward in allowing enterprises to maximize the benefits inherent to flash storage. NVMe puts storage closer to the CPU, reduces latency and increases the amount of parallel ...Continue Reading

• Catch the next wave of digital IT transformation: Learning tech

  IT learning technologies, such as machine learning and AI workloads, are gaining traction and could be the next wave of IT investment that drives competitive advantages.Continue Reading

• Storage conferences aren't what they used to be

  If you're an IT pro looking for a good storage user conference these days, you'll probably have to go through one or more of your storage vendors to find one.Continue Reading

• Storage class memory advances could be a game-changer

  Sometimes referred to as persistent memory, SCM may address the growing gap between storage and memory technologies. But don't expect it to happen just yet.Continue Reading

• PATA and SATA: The evolution of disk standards

  Disk standards have evolved over time, and while PATA and IDE may have reliability on their side, growing support and advancements for SATA may make it the preferred option.Continue Reading

• 5D data storage and the future of optical technology

  Researchers say revolutionary 5D optical storage could protect hundreds of terabytes of data for billions of years, far beyond the capabilities of current storage media.Continue Reading

• 3D NAND technology: What it is and where it's headed

  Following a recent NAND flash shortage, 3D NAND is seeing renewed interest from consumers and vendors. Discover what makes the technology a compelling flash memory option.Continue Reading

• Storage Spaces Direct requirements you need to know about

  Microsoft's architecture uses commodity hardware to create highly available, software-defined storage. But success depends on following the vendor's rules and recommendations.Continue Reading

• Is there an alternative to error correction and detection codes?

  Errors in NAND flash memory can be corrected, but that becomes more difficult as NAND reaches the end of its life. Are you utilizing every available error correction tool?Continue Reading

• NVRAM (non-volatile random-access memory)

  NVRAM (non-volatile random-access memory) refers to computer memory that can hold data even when power to the memory chips has been turned off.Continue Reading

• Four common SSD form factors and where they work best

  Solid-state drive form factors offer different benefits, from ease of transition to increased throughput. Four popular form factors are currently dominating the market.Continue Reading

• Who needs a multi-cloud environment and how best to deploy one

  Multi-cloud deployments let IT pick and choose among services from a variety of cloud providers to meet the storage and workload requirements of specific business units.Continue Reading

• MAMR hard drives could shake up the storage industry

  Microwave-assisted magnetic recording technology may be the next breakthrough HDD technology, promising lower cost and higher reliability than heat-assisted magnetic recording drives.Continue Reading

• Edge computing technology can ease bandwidth pressure points

  Stockpiling data at endpoints makes sense in a growing number of applications. With storage at the edge, concerns about storage bandwidth and data costs can be mitigated.Continue Reading

• How can SSD garbage collection help preserve drive speeds?

  The rumors are true: SSD speeds can slow down over time. Luckily, there are processes available that can help prevent this from happening and maintain the speedy nature of SSDs.Continue Reading

• SSD write cycle

  An SSD write cycle is the process of programming data to a NAND flash memory chip in a solid-state storage device.Continue Reading

• Does SSD overprovisioning have storage benefits?

  While overprovisioned SSDs have less usable capacity available, that space is put to good use. The majority of SSD manufacturers overprovision their drives, and for good reason.Continue Reading

• Five NVMe-oF questions you've been dying to ask

  The NVMe over Fabrics specification is growing in popularity, thanks to its ability to reduce latency and increase performance. But is it just a fad or here to stay?Continue Reading

• The AFA market faces unprecedented and rapid commoditization

  Prices of all-flash arrays have nosedived. Massive discounts due to fierce competition are contributing to rapid and unprecedented commoditization of all-flash arrays and changes in the AFA market. Meantime, the demand for AFAs is shrinking because ...Continue Reading

• NVMe technology is but a first step toward bigger things

  NVMe is an inevitable move forward for flash technology that begins the transition to storage-class memory and will lead to even more significant storage advances.Continue Reading

• Red Hat OpenStack Platform

  Red Hat OpenStack Platform is a commercially supported distribution of open source OpenStack software designed to build and manage large pools of compute, storage and networking resources in public and private clouds.Continue Reading

• How open source Ceph compares to Linux Ceph products

  Ceph software-defined storage is available for free, thanks to its open source nature. However, in some situations, a commercial Linux Ceph product could be the way to go.Continue Reading

• Three multi-cloud deployment tactics that work

  Use standardization, as well as a centralized management tool and independent monitoring tool, to deploy a multi-cloud environment that's easy and efficient to manage.Continue Reading

• NetApp

  NetApp, formerly Network Appliance Inc., is a company in the computer technologies industry specializing in data storage hardware and associated management software.Continue Reading

• U.2 SSD (formerly SFF-8639)

  A U.2 SSD is a high-performance data storage device designed to support the Peripheral Component Interconnect Express (PCIe) interface using a small form factor (SFF) connector that is also compatible with standard Serial-Attached SCSI (SAS) and ...Continue Reading

• Ultrathin memory storage device could spell breakthroughs

  According to its creators, atomristor technology promises a vast improvement on modern flash storage devices, but mainstream use may still be far off.Continue Reading

• Four situations where a multi-cloud strategy makes sense

  Many businesses can benefit from using multiple cloud services, especially if they need to ensure reliability, protect privacy, remain flexible and optimize the cloud experience.Continue Reading

• Reasons to choose Ceph storage over traditional alternatives

  The flexibility and multitude of interfaces available in a Ceph environment make it a tempting option and have some organizations ditching their current storage setup.Continue Reading

• Latest data storage technology takes application-centric approach

  These data storage strategies support the use cases customers want without breaking the bank or forcing them to buy technology they don't really need.Continue Reading

• A multi-cloud strategy provides more options and headaches

  The days of the cloud as a single, homogenous entity are long gone. Going forward, you'll likely have a multi-cloud storage strategy and work with multiple service providers.Continue Reading

• NVMe compatibility is key when transitioning SAS and SATA SSDs

  Getting ahead of the SSD interface performance curve requires foresight and careful planning. As NVMe technology evolves, new adopters are looking for ways to ease the changeover.Continue Reading

• bad block

  A bad block is an area of storage media that is no longer reliable for storing and retrieving data because it has been physically damaged or corrupted.Continue Reading

• volume manager

  A volume manager is software within an operating system (OS) that controls capacity allocation for storage arrays.Continue Reading

• external storage device

  An external storage device, also referred to as auxiliary storage and secondary storage, is a device that contains all the addressable data storage that is not inside a computer's main storage or memory.Continue Reading

• NetApp SolidFire

  NetApp SolidFire is a business division of NetApp Inc. that specializes in all-flash storage systems.Continue Reading

• NVMe SSDs: Is there a need for all this speed?

  Everything you should know to decide if nonvolatile memory express is right for your enterprise and, if it is, how to plan for the future of flash storage.Continue Reading

• Compare cloud vs. local archive benefits and drawbacks

  Local archives allow companies to use hardware they already own and save on cloud subscriptions, but cloud archives remove hardware maintenance tasks and costs.Continue Reading

• The ultimate guide to NAND flash technology

  NAND flash drives' layers and bits-per-cell counts affect which kinds of devices are right for an organization. Capacity and durability are the main issues to consider.Continue Reading

• NAND flash memory technologies evolve to support QLC

  QLC NAND pushes the storage capacity of flash devices higher, but devices can wear out more quickly than other NAND types because more data can be written to the same cell.Continue Reading

• private cloud storage (internal cloud storage)

  Private cloud storage, also called internal cloud storage, is a service delivery model for storage within a large enterprise.Continue Reading

• personal cloud storage (PCS)

  Personal cloud storage (PCS) is a local network-attached storage (NAS) device that lets users store data, photos, music, videos and other files and is optimized for media streaming.Continue Reading

• Software-defined storage benefits to sway SDS holdouts

  Software-defined storage is often misunderstood, yet the technology offers some advantages over traditional storage systems for many organizations.Continue Reading

• wear leveling

  Wear leveling is a process that is designed to extend the life of solid-state storage devices.Continue Reading

• SSD TRIM

  SSD TRIM is an Advanced Technology Attachment (ATA) command that enables an operating system to inform a NAND flash solid-state drive (SSD) which data blocks it can erase because they are no longer in use.Continue Reading

• cloud storage service

  A cloud storage service is a business that maintains and manages its customers' data and makes that data accessible over a network, usually the internet.Continue Reading

• cloud hosting

  Cloud hosting is the process of outsourcing an organization's computing and storage resources to a service provider that offers its infrastructure services in a utility model.Continue Reading

• AHCI (Advanced Host Controller Interface)

  Advanced Host Controller Interface, or AHCI, is a technical standard for an interface that enables software to communicate with Serial ATA (SATA) devices.Continue Reading

• Key factors that affect NAND flash memory endurance

  Program/erase cycles, write amplification and even garbage collection contribute to faster NAND flash wear-out. But wear leveling and bad block can help.Continue Reading

• How to use REST APIs in Python

  Using REST APIs with Python can offer storage administrators increased flexibility in their management tasks, but they need some knowledge of how to code.Continue Reading

• NVMe over Fibre Channel (NVMe over FC) or FC-NVMe standard

  Nonvolatile memory express over Fibre Channel (NVMe over FC) -- which is implemented through the Fibre Channel-NVMe (FC-NVMe) standard -- is a technology specification designed to enable NVMe-based message commands to transfer data and status ...Continue Reading

• Top five solid-state, cloud storage tips of 2017

  In 2017, SearchStorage readers cared most about SSD lifespan, 3D XPoint technology and the difference between SAN and NAS. Check out our most-read articles of the year here.Continue Reading

• cloud object storage

  Cloud object storage is a format for storing unstructured data in the cloud. Object storage is considered a good fit for the cloud because it is elastic, flexible and it can more easily scale into multiple petabytes to support unlimited data growth.Continue Reading

• parallel file system

  A parallel file system is a software component designed to store data across multiple networked servers and to facilitate high-performance access through simultaneous, coordinated input/output operations (IOPS) between clients and storage nodes.Continue Reading

• Taking the software-defined data center market pulse

  Most organizations understand the benefits of the SDDC by now, but widespread adoption hasn't hit yet. Challenges such as complexity and internal talent could be to blame.Continue Reading

• Software-defined data center architecture basics for beginners

  The physical, virtualization and management layers of an SDDC make it possible to pool the physical components into logical resources, regardless of the underlying hardware.Continue Reading

• big data storage

  Big data storage is a compute-and-storage architecture that collects and manages large data sets and enables real-time data analytics.Continue Reading

• server-based storage

  Server-based storage is a re-emerging class of data storage that removes cost and complexity by housing storage media inside servers rather than in dedicated and custom-engineered storage arrays.Continue Reading

• flash controller (flash memory controller)

  A flash controller is the part of solid-state flash memory that communicates with the host device and manages the flash file system directory.Continue Reading

• SAS SSD (Serial-Attached SCSI solid-state drive)

  A SAS SSD (Serial-Attached SCSI solid-state drive) is a NAND flash-based storage or caching device designed to fit in the same slot as a hard disk drive (HDD) and use the SAS interface to connect to the host computer.Continue Reading

• MTTR (mean time to repair)

  MTTR (mean time to repair) is the average time required to fix a failed component or device and return it to production status.Continue Reading

• Which enterprise NVMe SSD vendor is right for me?

  Picking an NVMe drive is an important decision. Consider thermal control, proprietary software and drive architecture to make the right choice.Continue Reading

• Data storage considerations for a DevOps environment

  Having good storage can make all the difference when it comes to DevOps. As more organizations get on the DevOps bandwagon, see how storage has changed to match.Continue Reading

• OpenStack Swift

  OpenStack Swift, also known as OpenStack Object Storage, is an open source object storage system that is licensed under the Apache 2.0 license and runs on standard server hardware.Continue Reading

• data management platform (DMP)

  A data management platform (DMP), also referred to as a unified data management platform (UDMP), is a centralized system for collecting and analyzing large sets of data originating from disparate sources.Continue Reading

• NAND flash memory basics: Comparing SLC, MLC and TLC NAND

  NAND is the most popular type of flash, but there are many different types, and they each serve a different purpose. Do you know your NAND flash basics?Continue Reading

• NOR vs. NAND flash memory: What companies need to know

  NOR and NAND flash memory each suit different use cases, and companies looking at a flash memory product need to know the difference before they buy.Continue Reading

• Manage multiple clouds for security and strong data backup

  Multi-cloud environments have a lot of benefits to offer organizations, but IT administrators need to know how to automate and secure disparate clouds.Continue Reading

• Three reasons to consider a multi-cloud storage strategy

  Storing data in multiple clouds is a fairly new strategy, but it's useful for companies that want to control cloud costs, protect privacy and ensure their data is always available.Continue Reading

• How to get the best SSD performance

  Want to make sure you get the best performance from your SSDs? Throw it back to your school days and do some thorough research before you buy solid-state drives.Continue Reading

• TLC flash (triple-level cell flash)

  TLC flash (triple-level cell flash) is a type of NAND flash memory that stores three bits of data per cell.Continue Reading

• single-level cell (SLC) flash

  Single-level cell (SLC) flash is a type of solid-state storage that stores one bit of data per cell of flash media.Continue Reading

• multi-level cell (MLC)

  Multi-level cell flash is a type of NAND flash memory that can store more than 1 bit per cell.Continue Reading

• The latest on emerging memory technology

  Nonvolatile DIMMs and phase-change memory products such as 3D XPoint are the latest memory techs that storage administrators should be on the lookout for.Continue Reading

• Beat VDI deployment challenges; find the best VDI storage

  Companies that want to stand up a VDI deployment can choose from a variety of storage options, from traditional storage technologies to more creative approaches, such as layering.Continue Reading

• Hard disk vs. flash storage: The fight of the century?

  When deciding which storage method you want in your corner, the benefits of flash storage are very appealing. But should you forget about hard disk arrays entirely?Continue Reading

• OpenStack Block Storage (Cinder)

  OpenStack Block Storage (Cinder) is open source software designed to create and manage a service that provides persistent data storage to cloud computing applications.Continue Reading

• SATA Express (SATAe)

  SATA Express (SATAe or Serial ATA Express) is a bus interface to connect storage devices to a computer motherboard, supporting SATA and PCI Express protocols simultaneously.Continue Reading

• Get ready for Gen 6 Fibre Channel technology

  Some think Fibre Channel will go the way of the dodo thanks to Ethernet, but the evolution of flash will cause companies to make the leap to 32-gig FC eventually.Continue Reading

• Open source technology promises to alter enterprise storage

  Open source storage software could alter the face of the industry by cutting costs and delivering greater flexibility over existing storage infrastructure.Continue Reading

• How can I guarantee the best Ceph performance?

  Ceph object storage performance is largely based on network speed, but journal disks and the right file system for object storage devices also play a role.Continue Reading

• Private cloud implementation guide

  Wondering how to pull off a private cloud deployment? Plan ahead, design for the future and make sure you have built up the right knowledge base.Continue Reading

• Is OpenStack enterprise-ready?

  Companies wondering whether OpenStack is ready for prime time in the enterprise should first consider whether their IT administrators are ready for OpenStack.Continue Reading

• application-aware storage

  Application-aware storage is a storage system with built-in intelligence about relevant applications and their utilization patterns.Continue Reading

• Four tips for building a Swift object store

  OpenStack Swift doesn't have to be scary. You can use the command line, zones and access control lists to make object storage management a little easier.Continue Reading

• 3D XPoint

  3D XPoint is memory storage technology jointly developed by Intel and Micron Technology Inc. The two vendors have described this new technology as filling a gap in the storage market between dynamic RAM (DRAM) and NAND flash.Continue Reading

• software-defined storage (SDS)

  Software-defined storage (SDS) is a computer program that manages data storage resources and functionality and has no dependencies on the underlying physical storage hardware.Continue Reading

• I/O virtualization (IOV)

  I/O virtualization (IOV), or input/output virtualization, is technology that uses software to abstract upper-layer protocols from physical connections or physical transports.Continue Reading

• non-volatile memory (NVM)

  Non-volatile memory (NVMe) is a semiconductor technology that does not require a continuous power supply to retain the data or program code stored in a computing device.Continue Reading

• Google Cloud Storage

  Google Cloud Storage is an enterprise public cloud storage platform that can house large unstructured data sets.Continue Reading

• What private cloud implementation barriers should I plan for?

  There are many factors to consider when building a private cloud, so planning is crucial. Policy changes and hardware choices are just some challenges that may arise.Continue Reading

• hybrid hard drive (HHD)

  A hybrid hard drive (HHD), sometimes known as a solid-state hybrid drive (SSHD), is a mass storage device that combines a conventional hard disk drive and a NAND flash module.Continue Reading

• USB flash drive

  A USB flash drive -- also known as a stick, thumb or pen drive -- is a plug-and-play portable storage device that uses flash memory and can attach to a keychain.Continue Reading